Mindfulness A to Z

Learn the definition of mindfulness and then explore seven key concepts with excerpts from the book "Mindfulness A to Z".

What is Mindfulness?

There are many different ways of understanding mindfulness: as a personality trait, as a meditative state and practice from the Buddhist traditions, as a cognitive faculty, or a philosophical way of being-in-the-world. Much of what we hear about mindfulness comes from secularized versions of the ancient Buddhist practice. Mindfulness is a way of working with attention where it is focused on the present moment in a nonjudgmental way. It’s not about what we experience but how we experience things whether they are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Mindfulness can go deeper and wider than the present moment to help us to live each moment without trying to micromanage things that we have no control over and with that relinquishing of control to come to a place of profound peace that is our natural state. With this peace comes wisdom and the potential for awakening as the Buddha did himself 2500 years ago.